Prayers to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Feast: September 23)

Prayer to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

God, Who gave Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, a Capuchin priest, the great privilege of admirably participating in the Passion of Your Son, grant me through his intercession, the grace of......... which I so desire; and above all, grant me to be united to the Passion of Jesus in order to eventually attain His glorious Resurrection.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

Consecration to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

O glorious Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, thou, who art a saint and my friend, Comforter of my soul and help of this sinner, who in thy suffering keenly understands my own, to thee I consecrate myself and my loved ones; to thee I entrust my spirit, that thou makest it able to withstand all the tribulations of my heart; I beseech thee to present my soul to Our Lady of Grace so I may obtain from God, eternal salvation; I ask thee to intercede that I may obtain from Divine Goodness the grace of........., which I ardently desire. Take me under thy protection. Defend me from the onslaughts of the evil one. Above all, intercede with the Almighty to grant me the pardon for my sins and make me persevere on the right path.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (3 times).

Chaplet to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

—Padre Pio recited this daily—

O my Jesus, Thou didst say: “Amen, I say to you, ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” Behold, I knock, I seek, and I ask for the grace of.........

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee!

O my Jesus, Thou didst say: “Amen, I say to you, whatsoever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give unto you.” Behold, I ask the Father, in Thy name, for the grace of.........

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee!

Let us pray.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for Whom one thing alone is impossible, namely, not to havecompassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace we ask of Thee, through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of mary, Thy most tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen.........

Saint Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us!

Heart of Jesus, rich unto all that call upon Thee, have mercy on us!

Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, have mercy on us!

SAINT OF THE DAY

St. Enda of Aran

St. Enda of Aran

In the land evangelized by St. Patrick, there emerged in subsequent centuries a number of saints, who by the sanctity of their lives firmly established Christianity in Ireland. Among these is to be numbered the great St. Enda of Aran.

Enda was born in the sixth century to Oriel of Ulster, son of Conall Derg of Ergall, to whose principality he succeeded upon his death. One of his sisters was married to Oengus the king of Munster; another, the holy Fanchea, was abbess of a monastery. It was the pious exhortations of the latter that compelled him to leave the world and embrace the monastic life. He embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome to venerate the relics of the Apostles and was there ordained a priest.

Upon his return to Ireland, he built a church in Drogheda along the River Boyne and founded a religious community. From his brother-in-law, King Oengus of Munster, he obtained the grant of the wild and barren isle of Aran (Aranmore) in the Bay of Galway, where he founded the famous Monastery of Killeaney. Such was the fame acquired by this monastery and its abbot, that the island was called “Aran of the Saints”. Many of the great Irish saints had some connection with Aran and St. Enda: St. Brendan the Voyager, St. Kiaran of Clonmacnoise, St. Columba of Iona, St. Finnian of Clonard and others. So numerous were the pilgrims to Aran that St. Columba called it “The Rome of Pilgrims”.

Enda divided the island into ten parts, in each of which he built a monastery and over which he set superiors. His monastic settlement was known for its austerity, holiness and learning, and became a burning light of sanctity for centuries in Western Europe.

This father of Irish monasticism died in advanced old age and was buried on Aran Mor.

WEEKLY STORY

A Bargain with Our Lady

A Bargain with Our Lady

In the city of Doul, in France, lived a young cavalier named Ansaldo. This gentleman was trained in the arts of horsemanship and battle. As was common for those in Ansaldo’s line of work, he received a battle wound from an arrow, which entered so deep into the jaw-bone, that it was not possible to extract the iron.

After four years of suffering in this way, the afflicted man could endure the pain no longer. His affliction had made him very ill, a shadow of his former robust self. He thought he would again try to have the iron extracted. But before doing so, this time he decided to make a bargain with the Blessed Virgin.

From his sick bed, Ansaldo implored the Mother of God to heal his jaw and restore his health to him. In exchange for this great grace, he vowed to visit a sacred image of her in the city of Doul every year, and make an offering of a certain sum of money upon her altar if she granted this request.

He had no sooner made the vow than the iron, without being touched, fell out of his jaw and into his mouth.

The next day, ill as he was, he went to visit the sacred image. With a great deal of effort, the weakened, but hopeful man placed the promised gift upon the altar.

Immediately, he felt himself entirely restored to health.

Amazed by the quick maternal response of Mary Most Holy, Andsaldo never forgot his vow and returned every year to honor his part of their bargain.

From the Glories of Mary, by St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori.

From his sick bed, Ansaldo implored the Mother of God to heal him and restore his health to him. In exchange for this great grace,